New York: Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island National Monument Guide : National Parks Navigator

Liberty Island

Ellis Island

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

What to visit?

Whether you arrive by ferry, cruise ship, plane, boat or car, New York City is to reckoned with. America's largest city and the largest port in the East is the historical gateway to millions of immigrants to the United States. Statue of Liberty faces the entrance to New York Harbor and is strategically placed be be welcoming to those people arriving by ship. The Statue's formal name is "Liberty Enlightening the World" and was a gift from the citizens of France to the United States in 1886. The copper statute of a crowned woman, holding a torch in one hand a tablet engravd with the date July 4, 1776 in the other, was designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and its interior iron framework was designed by the firm of Gustave Eiffel (famous for the Eiffel Tower in Paris). A bronze plaque on the pedestal displays the lines of poet Emma Lazurus "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free".

Ellis Island is the Federal Immigration Station where more than 12 million people, who arrived by steamship, entered the United States between 1892 and 1954. The Immigration Museum documents and memorializes the arrival of these immigrants and their processing. There are more than 22 million passenger records (ship's manifests) contained here. Tracing your family history can begin here. Addtional primary resources for genealogical research in the United States is The National Archives and Records Administration.

Where to stay?

Find the best Hotels near this National Park such as Hyatt House Jersey City and the The Wagner Hotel New York City.

For camping none in town, but there are some nearby on Staten Island and in a nearby Jersey City. Tent Camping at Camp Gateway - Staten Island, NY and RV Camping at Liberty Harbor RV Park _ Jersey City, N.J.

How to get to the Monument?

Access: Via Cruise Ship, plane, train, car or bus. Arrive by Amtrak at Penn Station. New York also has a modern bus terminal at Port Authority. Greyhound and other providers come to New York. LaGuardia and Kennedy International Airports are in New York and are serviced by many of the major airlines. Newark, New Jersey is also an International Airport in close proximity to New York. New York has an extensive subway, bus and ferry system. Roads: The most direct route into New York from is Interstate 95. The Islands are only accessed by boat from either Battery Park in New York City or Liberty State Park in New Jersey. The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry is has exclusive access. Keep in mind that there are many more people using the NYC portal. To avoid the crowds, it is very easy to take the Liberty Landing Ferry from Warren Street in front of the World Trade Center to Liberty Landing and then take the Statue of liberty / Ellis Island ferry. Views of the New York City skyline are incredible from here. Be sure to reserve your tickets and desired access level or tour from the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry.

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Tours:

Take a tour: Learn about the Mounument's unique history directly from a href="https://www.nps.gov/elis/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm">National Park Ranger Tours.